MONITORING DESK
ISLAMABAD: Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said on Wednesday that his country can win the war in 2013 if Western powers provide long-range missile systems apart from increasing the supply of other weapons.
Speaking to AFP, Podolyak maintained that in order to speed up the “de-occupation of Ukraine’s territory” missiles with a range of over “100 kilometers” are required.
Ukraine can win war by autumn if provided long-range missiles
He added that if such a missile were to be provided the war end by autumn this year.
Such long-range missiles would allow Ukraine to strike Russian arms warehouses deep inside Ukrainian territory currently under Moscow’s control. At present, these arms depots cannot be Kyiv due to missiles that have a shorter range.
Last year, after the United States provided Ukraine with missile systems that have an approximate range of 80 kilometers, on several fronts the tide of the conflict turned in Kyiv’s favor.
Kyiv seeks US missile systems with 300km range
While France has delivered similar ranged missile systems, Kyiv is pressing Washington to deliver the US ATACMS missile system, whose range is about 300 kilometers.
According to Podolyak, by means of such systems Ukraine will be able to destroy “all the military infrastructure that belongs to Russia” in all of the occupied territories including “Donbas and Crimea”. Donbas is the name for east Ukraine which is the focus of Russia’s current campaign. In 2014, Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula.
Podolyak clarified that Ukraine will “not attack Russia” and the country was waging an “exclusively defensive war”.
The senior adviser warned that if such missile systems were not provided then war will likely last for decades.
